What, she doesn't know which of us is who?
This was a post I put together some time ago for a Challenge but somebody pipped me to the post (!) so it’s popping up now instead.
I’m hoping I’m not alone in this (cos that would make the challenge really boring) but there are a few songs in my collection that I misidentify EVERY TIME they come up on my iPod. Say I was whizzing round glorious Dumfries and Galloway in the motor*. A track would start and my unconscious mind go “Yes! That’s the [insert name of band]!”
And then the vocal would start, or something else recognisable, and my now more conscious mind would go “Dayamn! Made that same mistake again!” Because it’s someone completely different.
One example is the Beach Boys’ Fun Fun Fun, which I always think is going to be Chuck Berry. But that’s not a very good example, because after all they do use a Chuck Berry riff for the intro. What I’m after, if you can think of one, is a song that you really really like by a band you really really like which you should recognise…but somehow you never do.
For instance: I know I only discovered TP&TH 20 months ago, but I’ve been listening to them with great dedication ever since. (Check my last.fm page if you don’t believe me.) And yet I still always think this is the Who.
Love Is A Long Road by Tom Petty
.
.
*I don’t do so much whizzing in MK, mostly because I don’t have a 60-mile round trip every weekday.
Ok, i’m cheating just a bit here (as it’s not by a band i really, really love, although i do like the song). This has been driving me nuts lately because every time it comes up on the satellite, i can’t remember who it’s by. I think, maybe Hall and Oates? nah, it’s better than that at least. And old soul tune? Then i peek at the display and say, oh yeah, why do i always forget.
I’ll try to think of one by a band i really, really love later.
Well, it doesn’t have to be a band you really really love, then.
Excellent idea TFD. This is easy ’cause 40 years on it still gets me thinking – Hey cool CCR. No once again it’s the Hollies.
I can’t believe that song is still unzedded.
Good one fintan. Overall they kinda wimped out musically, to me anyways.
Tricky. Here’s one often mistaken for Nirvana.
hmm, never would have confused hat one, not raw enough for Nirvana.
Yup, woulda lost a bar bet on that one
speaking of Nirvana, does this intro sound familiar to anyone?
but I don’t like Nirvana so it doesn’t count as my pick.
Oh Wow!!! That is amazing!!! I really thought it was Nirvana ! ! !
it was released in 1984, but the effects on the guitar are quite similar as well as the notes, if I had any Nirvana on my iPod it might confuse me!
Any fans of early KJ (Shoey?) who haven’t heard this give it a listen – I think I’m right in saying it was released in 1978, ie before KJ were even thought of! I think they featured Paul Ferguson’s brother or something – and also Howard Jones’ brother!
KJ were supposedly tempted to sue but didn’t. Dave Grohl played some drums on the ’03 KJ album which was a nice payback.
I thought they did t to sue but didn’t get anywhere as it was ruled (quite reasonably) that apart from the bassline the songs were completely different. I remember KJ making a huge stink about (Jaz threatening to murder Kurt etc!) but I can’t help feeling they were milking it for publicity. If so it paid off for them when Pademonium was released.
KJ were of course heavily influenced by PIL in the early days – here’s PIL repaying the complement years later, at least in the riff department
PIL & KJ were connected through Youth. John was supposed to produce brother Jimmy’s band 4″ Be 2″ 1st record, but he drank a bottle of champagne & fell asleep. When he woke up, Youth had handled the production (John still got the credit on the sleeve notes).
Always sounded like mid-to-late 1970s Stevie Wonder to me. I could have sworn I’d heard the real Stevie do a version of this song.
I think few people would argue that Jamiroquai is a very original artist
I used to swear Janie’s Got A Gun was by Canadian pop-rockers 54-40, not Aerosmith. I lost a bar bet AND got yelled at.
4755 listens!? I’ve only managed nearly 2000 of my favourite band and that’s over years and years!
I have an artist I NEVER recognise, doesn’t matter which track it is really, but I find Beck impossible to know. I’ve only ever bought one of his albums, but I have 5 of them on my iPod as Mr bethnoir likes Beck. Actually, I like him too, but he is decidedly chameleonlike.
This one I always think is going to be Nick Drake, but sometimes I think he’ll be Roy Harper or Devendra Banhart
Not sure there’s any I regularly get wrong, but I have a number of songs in my library by various alt-country-rock bands I’ve picked up from RR over the last few years, so I’m often not sure if something’s by Richmond Fontaine or the Gaslight Anthem or someone else. Anyway, this came on my mp3 player the other day, and I assumed it was American Music Club. It evidently isn’t (too catchy?) but this is a good excuse to post it:
Always love me some Hold Steady
Lady Gaga tracks always remind me of either Koda Kumi or SNDS.
Actually when I first heard Born This Way, until the vocal started I thought it was Be Happy by SNDS.
But then it seems like it IS Be Happy ! ! !
There was quite some comment here at the time, then it all went very quite . . . . . did money move I wonder ? ??
Be Happy (from Oh! album) – Released January 28, 2010
Born This Way (Single) – Released February 11, 2011
This is a vid of the two tracks put together with SNDS tone lowered a little.
bethnoir will like this one for sure – and whoever you think it is, it isn’t:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRdipWxO2ig
I know that song pretty well, so I did know who it was, but it could have been any one of many of my favourite folk guitarists. I think that, though the artist in question wears his influences on his sleeve, he has moved beyond them, particularly in more recent albums.
& here’s that Dave Grohl at it again, this time with an “homage” to someone close to TFD’s heart.
Sorry, tfd. Can’t think of anything. But it has taken me a week to work out that one of the tracks they’re currently playing in Huddersfield bus station is The Moonlight Sonata, and not Fur Elise. They seem to have found a CD by a particularly depressed orchestra, God help us all if they get on to Sibelius or Gorecky, there will be mass suicides at stand W …
I think this happens quite a bit but I can’t think of any concrete examples. Instead here’s one that I’ve never mistaken for the real thing but is the most blatant Wire knock-off from a period when the charts were unexpectedly full of Wire knock-offs.
I don’t know whether it’s because I’m one of those obsessive jazz fans who aspires to be able to tell the difference between consecutive takes of Thelonius Monk tunes, or because I have no imagination, but I honestly can’t think of anything that fits this rubric at the moment…
But it’s a great challenge insofar as I’ve been thinking about it ever since you posted it…
Hey folks – it’s Tuesday again! Who’s up next with a Challenge?
(Thanks, Sakura, for the reminder on RR.)